Memory Alpha:AOL chats/Ronald D. Moore/ron074.txt
Subj: Answers Date: 12/16/97 4:07:09 PM From: RonDMoore <> Most of the Founder-worship is something programmed into the brains of the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar, but I would imagine that the Founder's success record only reinforces that instinctive response. As to other abilities, we haven't defined them yet, but it's always possible that we'll come up with something. <> This has come up in our story meetings, but we haven't made a decision one way or the other. <> Hope springs eternal. <> We haven't decided where this relationship is going yet, so the characters (like the writers) have chosen to put the issue aside for the moment and try to just get on with their lives for the time being. <> This is the kind of information that could prove damaging to the Federation should it become known to their enemies during the middle of a war, so I can't answer this one. <> Spot. < I think Picard gets court-martialled at least once a month just because he's the Captain of the Enterprise and Starfleet knows what kind of trouble those folks usually get into. <> Not much was actually cut from the filmed footage of FC. The film came in very close to its final running time and most of the editing consisted of trims for pace or clarity. <> There could be, but we don't have any planned as yet. <> I think the station is considered to be a Starbase by the Federation, but it's not usually used as part of the official nomenclature. <> I would think so, but this has not been addressed. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 12/16/97 4:41:25 PM From: RonDMoore <> We have seen a Klingon lawyer, but I'd like to see a few other non-military citizens of the Empire before the end of the series. << Is it true that there is going to be an episode about racism?>> The episode in question is "Far Beyond the Stars," it does deal with racism, it was written by Ira and Hans, directed by Avery and the only other thing I'll say about it is that I'm very proud to have my name associated with a show like this one. <> I think that's painting me with a pretty broad brush. Both "par'Mach" and "Cordially" were *designed* as light episodes, it wasn't as though I recoiled from "serious" romance in favor of comedy. I also happen to think that there's some very moving stuff in the wedding show, particularly the Martok/Worf scene which happens to be one of my favorite scenes of the year. Go back and listen to his speech about love and then tell me that I'm not interested in serious relationships. I just finished work on a Worf and Dax show that deals with some pretty heavy issues in their relationship, and I certainly don't think they're "only good for light romantic comedy." And having Odo and Kira talk in a closet hardly "reduced" all their angst and conflict to a "throwaway gag" -- it kept the thread of their relationship alive without overpowering the episode and if it made people smile in the process, all the better. <> Nothing against TOS, but you said it yourself -- these are examples of character "evolution", not a character "arc." The character of Spock and his relationship to Kirk & McCoy evolved over time as the series came into focus, but this wasn't a deliberate "arc" where they said "Okay, we're going to take Spock from point A to point B." What DS9 has done is to consciously change and develop the relationships and our characters. I don't think there's anything in TOS, TNG, or VOY that comes close to the kind of overall character arc seen in say, Sisko. We've taken him from a man who didn't want this job or anything to do with Bajoran religion to a man who not only thinks of Bajor as his *home* but has embraced his role of Emissary to the point where he's asking the Prophets for a "miracle" in "Sacrifice." The arc of Odo is just as strong and complex and there's really no equivalent to either one in TOS. That's not to slam TOS -- they just weren't interested in that kind of thing and the show worked just fine without it. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 12/16/97 5:02:23 PM From: RonDMoore <> When we killed him in "Apocalypse Rising" we were bummed because we liked both the character and the actor so much, but making Martok the Changeling instead of Gowron made the story work better. After extended discussion, we realized that just because Martok had been replaced, it didn't mean that the real Martok couldn't still be alive somewhere and that thought then led to the two-parter "Inferno/Purgatory". I wasn't there when J.G. read for the role, but Ira said that he nailed the part on the spot and no one else even came close. ------- Subj: Answers Date: 97-12-17 14:00:08 EST From: RonDMoore < This too, has come up in our story meetings, but we haven't made any decisions about it. Unfortunately, a lot of your questions which have to do with where we *might* take the series tend to get this kind of reply and I know that must be a little unsatisfying, but I hope you'll understand that *many* things are possible around here and we don't have a master plan outlining all our decisions for the rest of the series. <> I don't think the PD has anything to do with the regulations regarding time travel, which are covered in the voluminous manual entitled "Time Travel and YOU -- an Officer's Guide to Temporal Paradoxes, Adventures, and Vacations." <> I haven't picked up any comic books in a long time, and I'm way out of the loop on what's happening with the Trek books. <> Without vouching for the accuracy of the transcript you've received, I will confirm that I did a live chat on TrekWeb a few weeks ago. <. We're happy it caught on with people, but we consider it to be one of many plot threads within DS9. <> There's a ship in the Delta Quadrant that may be more to your taste. <> Since there have been so many different characters on four different series, it's hard for me to know if this is true or not, but I'll take your word for it. It's an interesting observation, and I'm a little surprised, but I don't think it's been a deliberate ommission. I'll point it out at our next story meeting, just to put it in the back of everyone's head. << I know this sounds silly, but if you went on to Season Seven of DS9 and it was really successful would Paramount let you do an 8th? Or if that was successful a 9th? Is there any limit?>> Theorectically, there's no limit to how long the show could run, but I'd be surprised if it went beyond seven years -- and there's still NO word on whether we're going seven or not. <. We have some ideas for a future show involving conflict between these two. <> Still in the "just talking about it" stage. <> I think we assigned that to Rene and we're still waiting for his report. Subj: Answers Date: 97-12-17 14:36:51 EST From: RonDMoore <> I sense a theme here... <> May I suggest ordering the latest video from Playboy TV -- "Shapeshifter Sex: Playboy's Guide to Love in the Link." <> I doubt it. <> We have celebrated Bajoran holidays on the show and birthdays as well. <> Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <> I'd prefer to keep this to myself for now. <> My lovely and indispensible wife has had the Christmas shopping done for over a week now. <> The Hart building had a combined DS9/VOY Christmas party last week. A good time was had by all. <> We do, and I once got a device intended for... uh... sexual purposes which was emblazoned with a gigantic Klingon Emblem. << If you could ask for any prop, costume, script, sketch, model or anything else from the Trek shows/movies for Christmas, what would you ask for?>> I'd love to have an original Kirk tunic. Feel free to send it to my office if you've got one lying around... <> Not sure. <> The intention was that there were Orbs on the other side, but they had been lost or destroyed or something and that they had passed into legend for the Mirror Bajorans. Subj: Answers Date: 97-12-17 15:41:38 EST From: RonDMoore <> We don't know what the next Mirror story will be. <> I don't think the Feds gave up the Cabrel system. <> I hope we see Kai Winn again, Tom Riker, Dr. Mora, and a bunch of other DS9 quasi-regulars like Garak and Nog many times between now and the end. <> Two love affairs in six years doesn't seem excessive to me. <> And my response is... I disagree (surprise!). <> Maybe I wasn't clear. I was trying to contrast the development of Sisko's story arc on DS9 (which has been a deliberately planned and plotted tale regardless of whether it began in the pilot or in Season 2), with the evolution of the character of Spock on TOS. Put simply, we are taking Sisko on a journey from A to B, while the changes in Spock were not part of any overall story, rather they were simply the natural evolution of the character. Spock didn't go from a cold-hearted Vulcan to a warm and fuzzy guy, they simply explored different facets of his character and began to flesh him out more as time went on. That is fundamentally different from the journey we've laid out for Sisko from "Emissary" to "Sacrifice of Angels," which has *changed* the character. Spock was the same guy at the end of TOS that he was at the beginning in most ways except that we saw his friendship with Kirk deepen and become more important to him over time. That, to me, is the normal evolution of a character in an episodic series, not an overall story arc. Moore, Ronald D.